Business Start-Up Grant
|
Business Start-Up Grant
Les Dames d'Escoffier Philadelphia will award two grants to female business owners or new-business developers in the greater Philadelphia area. The business or development plan must be in a food, beverage or hospitality related industry.
The first grant is $2500 for development of a business plan for a new enterprise. The proceeds are to be used for essential services for startup, such as obtaining a Tax ID, setting up a LLC or other business structure, paying for a website, etc. The second grant is $7500 to enable business expansion, add value and/or services, or improve an established (one-year-plus) food, beverage or hospitality-focused business.
This application questionnaire is for the first grant, the business-plan development award.
To be eligible for consideration for this grant, the applicant must be a woman living in the greater Philadelphia region who is developing a business plan for a new business in food, beverage or hospitality. Not available to current LDEI members.
To be eligible for consideration for this grant, the applicant must be a woman living in the greater Philadelphia region who is developing a business plan for a new business in food, beverage or hospitality. Not available to current LDEI members.
Applicants must supply LDEI Philadelphia with the following materials:
A resume or a description of your relevant food/beverage industry education
An essay: (not to exceed 1000 words): Tell your story, describing your career path and business, your passion and goals, your reason for wishing to start a food-related business, and your goals for the business.
A completed and detailed business plan that you consider ready for use for loan applications, legal representation, and business start-up. It must include mission, goals, and financial needs of the business.
A three-to-five-minute video that explains your business idea and plan, explains its value and serves to sell your idea and you – the classic ‘elevator pitch’.
References: one professional and one personal reference, complete with contact information and length of acquaintance.
The winner will receive:
$2500 to be used for business start-up costs (obtaining a tax ID, setting up a LLC or similar legal business structure, paying for website construction, etc. The grant cannot be used for salaries, payroll, rent, equipment, tools, uniforms, office equipment, travel expenses or other physical improvements to a business). Grant recipients are responsible for arranging and initially paying for their business start-up costs. Reimbursements will be made promptly upon receiving proof of payment of expenses relating to the grant.
A one-year provisional membership to the LDEI Philadelphia Chapter.
25 hours of business mentoring from LDEI members with experience related to the recipient’s business plans and goals. The mentoring will be divided amongst five members who will each provide at least five hours of mentoring time within a defined time period.
Recipients will be expected to provide six-month and one-year reports chronicling the start-up and first-year efforts, successes and needs.
Recipients will also be asked to provide a high-resolution digital business logo/representative photo, take part in a phone interview for publicity purposes, attend an LDEI Philadelphia chapter event to speak about the proposed business, announce the award on any social media used by the recipient, and agree to act as a mentor at some time in the future, to a recipient of a future grant.
Please fill out the application below to apply. If you have any trouble with the links or have any questions in general, please contact Janet Chrzan at jchrzan@upenn.edu.